Equilibrium
by ShaViva
Summary: Major Lorne is new to Atlantis and must find his feet in the city, and in his new role as Colonel Sheppard's second in command.
1. Losing Home

**Equilibrium**

Author: ShaViva

Rating: T+

Season: Season 2 onwards

Summary: Major Lorne is new to Atlantis and must find his feet in the city, and in his new role as Colonel Sheppard's second in command.

Classifications: General

Pairings: None planned – but who knows where this could go!

Spoilers for: Everything from Season 2.3 Runner, onwards.

Disclaimer: I am unfortunately not associated in any way with the creators, owners, or producers of Stargate or any of its media franchises. If I was they'd still be making it instead of retiring this awesome show without at least giving it the ending it deserves. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, equipment, etc are the property of whoever owns them. Any original characters, plot, settings, and anything else I made up are the property of me, the author. No copyright infringement is intended.

Copyright (c) 2011 ShaViva

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><p><strong>Authors Note:<strong>

The format of this story will be one chapter per episode of SGA, starting from Runner (yes, for some things Atlantis doesn't start for me until Lorne is there!). The subject for each will be determined by writing prompts from a Twitter account I follow and the challenge is not only to write to the prompt but to tie this altogether so it's one story instead of a collection of one shots. The underlying theme is that Atlantis is its own system and can only be stable and balanced when all the major players are there.

Of course it's all about Lorne and how he comes to find his place on Atlantis, and also about the Sheppard CO/Lorne 2IC relationship. I'll also be focusing more on what happens after the camera stops rolling, with inclusion of episode events or dialogue at a minimum and only when necessary. No promises on how often I'll update - this is about getting me writing regularly again but hopefully it'll turn out okay too!

Hope you enjoy.

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><p><em><strong>Equilibrium<strong>__ is the condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced.  
>(source: Wikipedia)<em>

**Chapter 1: Losing home **

_**Timeline, Season 2, 'Runner'**_

Lorne sat in the back of the jumper, eyes on the floor as the little ship rose smoothly into the air under the command of Colonel Sheppard. After his first off world mission since reassignment to Atlantis there was plenty to assimilate on a personal front, but the Major found his thoughts were on their unexpected additional passenger.

Specialist Ronon Dex.

Resident of the Pegasus galaxy and from what little his CO had already said, a man who'd been on the run for longer than seemed possible.

Looking at the man again, Lorne was surprised to find Ronon watching him. The look in his eyes could only be described as assessing – in an 'are you a threat or an ally?' kind of way. Lorne let nothing of his own thoughts show, nodding an acknowledgement that he'd drawn the man's attention before casting his eyes elsewhere. His thoughts lingered on their new guest though. What had the man gone through to survive? How had he managed it alone? And more importantly, how was he going to react when he realised they had the means to send him home?

"Dial the gate," Sheppard ordered.

McKay's fingers flew over the triangular keys as he quickly tapped out the address for Atlantis.

"Sending IDC," the scientist said as they approached the open wormhole.

Moments later they burst from the event horizon into the Atlantis gateroom. Colonel Sheppard took charge of Ronon, ordering everyone to the infirmary for post mission check-ups before they debriefed. Lorne followed along behind his impromptu team – Coughlin, Reed, Sherman, and Billick – the men all talking about the sharp turn their simple escort mission had taken. In the infirmary they broke naturally into groups, Carson following with Sheppard's team and Ronon while Lorne and his men peeled off to be seen to by the other doctor on duty.

"I see you came through unscathed," Doctor Cole commented, pulling out her pen light to check whatever it was doctors checked when they shone a bright light in your eyes.

"The Major was stunned with a Wraith stunner," Carson called out, his accent making that announcement sound lyrical.

"You were?" Cole's eyes narrowed as she looked at Evan closely.

"Ah …. Yeah, I was," Lorne admitted. "I feel fine now."

"How long were you out?" the doctor queried, turning on that light and shining back and forth across Lorne's vision.

He blinked, his pupils contracting, the bright light leaving a nice negative image on his sight even after Cole switched it off. "No idea Doc," he shrugged, looking across to Coughlin with a raised brow.

"A couple of hours," Coughlin offered.

"Mmm," Cole's lips pursed. "That's a little longer than usual."

"So they told me," Lorne replied. "The radiation on that planet was screwy Doc – and we were exposed the longest."

"That might explain it," Doctor Cole agreed. "I'll run a few additional parameters through when we scan you, just to make sure."

"Sure, of course," Lorne agreed, knowing he didn't really have a choice.

Lying on the hard surface of the scanning machine, feeling the warm blue glow of ancient light passing over him, Evan was only peripherally aware of the infirmary getting quieter as everyone involved in the mission was signed off and given clearance to leave.

"Okay, we're done," Cole announced a few moments later, urging Lorne to sit up. He swayed slightly, bracing himself with strong arms before the room stabilised.

Casting a glance at the doctor to see if she'd noticed he got a wry smile in return. "Dehydration," she said simply. "Increase your fluids for the next twenty four hours and you should be fine Major."

Lorne nodded. "Thanks Doctor Cole," he said, keen to get out of the infirmary.

"Make sure you come back if the dizziness persists," Cole urged after him.

"Sure thing Doc," he called, pausing to throw her a half smile and raised hand in acknowledgement before he was out the door.

The debrief had already begun by the time he got there. "Sorry Sir," he murmured as he took the last remaining seat next to Doctor McKay, nodding respectfully to Doctor Weir and the Colonel.

"I guess punctuality was another of those courses you skipped in Major School," Rodney commented sarcastically.

"McKay," Sheppard warned before Lorne could respond. Not that he'd have said anything cutting - McKay was clearly high on the 'pain in the ass' scale but it was also equally clear that his input was valued. Lorne would continue to reserve judgement until he'd gotten to know the scientist better.

"Is everything okay Major Lorne?" Doctor Weir asked.

"Yes Ma'am," Lorne returned briskly, seeing no need to expand on why he'd taken longer than everyone else to get there.

"Colonel Sheppard has briefed me on the situation with Lieutenant Ford," Elizabeth continued. "What are our plans?"

"We find him," John stated succinctly, turning his attention to McKay. "Is there any way we can track that hive ship?"

"Not a chance," Rodney said immediately.

"Can you not harvest the last gate addresses dialled?" Teyla asked, her tone so reasonable that even McKay couldn't take offence.

"Usually, yes," Rodney agreed. "The last fifty to a hundred dialled addresses are stored in the DHD's active memory, in no particular order."

"But not this time?" John queried.

"No," McKay said grimly. "That radiation didn't only screw with our instruments – it affected the DHD as well, wiped the memory completely clean."

"Can't you get that kind of stuff back, even after it's deleted?" Sheppard persisted.

"If I had a year, maybe," Rodney shot back impatiently. "This isn't like restoring the hard drive on your laptop Colonel. This is alien technology we only partially understand. I can delve into the inner workings of that DHD but there's no guarantee I'll get anything useful. And by the time I do Ford will be long gone."

"It is difficult to believe Aiden would let himself be culled deliberately," Teyla commented sadly.

"It's the enzyme," Sheppard said sharply. "It's messing with his head. If we can find him …"

"We'd still have ourselves an uphill battle," Carson finished. "The Lieutenant's been on the enzyme for weeks Colonel. I'm not convinced we can ween the lad off the drug, not without killing him."

"Then we need to find a way," Elizabeth said. "The threat of exposure to the enzyme is broader than just Lieutenant Ford current situation. "

"We need to make that a priority," Sheppard spoke firmly, his expression intent. "I want to be ready next time, when we find Ford again."

"Oh please," Rodney scoffed. "You didn't talk to him like I did Colonel. Half the time he was convinced we were out to get him and the rest of it that he was some kind of invincible super hero. Do you really think he'll come with us willingly?"

"_Yes_," Sheppard insisted. "If we offer him the right incentive. Just do what you can Carson."

Lorne looked from the Colonel to McKay and back again. He'd only been stationed on Atlantis for a few weeks and was still forming his impressions of the staff. Not that he'd needed long to work out that Colonel Sheppard was the kind of officer who'd go to the wall and beyond before he'd let anyone get left behind. Lorne was still dealing with the fall-out from P3X-403, with what happened to Ritter – even though the order to send Ritter out alone hadn't come from him, Evan still felt responsible. Knowing he wouldn't have to argue with Colonel Sheppard like he had with Edwards went a long way towards being convinced he'd made the right call coming to Atlantis.

Not that he'd had a real choice – once he'd been tested for the ATA gene and come up positive it had only been a matter of time before he was stationed in the city of the Ancients.

"And what of Ronon?" Teyla's change of subject drew Lorne's attention back to the debrief.

"We send him back to Sateda," Elizabeth said simply. "Assuming he's fit enough?" she added, sending Carson a quizzical look.

"Aye, he's fit enough. In fact I've never seen someone heal so fast," Carson replied. "Aside from some nasty scarring – self-inflicted mind you – there'll be no lasting effects from him carrying around that tracker. Not physically."

"And if the Wraith have destroyed his home?" Teyla queried, her eyes wise to the ways of the Pegasus galaxy.

"He's got skills and he knows how to survive against the Wraith," Sheppard pointed out. "He'd be a valuable asset around here."

"Not exactly talkative though, is he?" McKay muttered.

"We can't all have your volume of stunning repartee Rodney," John made that sound like both insult and compliment and Lorne held in the sudden urge to smile.

"Before we map out Mr Dex's entire future perhaps you should talk to him Colonel," Doctor Weir interrupted before McKay could make a comeback. "Doctor McKay will acquire the gate address for Sateda and prepare a MALP."

"I will?' Rodney gulped at Elizabeth's pointed look and gave a weak smile. "Yes, yes, I'll get on that … right now in fact." He stood and hesitated. "That is if we're done?"

"You can go," Weir's expression was still that of an experienced diplomat but somehow Lorne just knew she was amused by McKay's manner. "We'll meet back in the control room once Mr Dex is ready for us to contact Sateda."

Lorne stood when Doctor Weir did, waiting politely for her and the others to head for the door before falling into step behind the group.

"So, first mission what you expected?" Colonel Sheppard dropped back to walk beside Evan.

"Dead Wraith, weird radiation, getting stunned, and bringing an alien home with us?" Lorne queried blandly. "Of course Sir – par for the course."

Sheppard laughed, slapping a hand to Lorne's shoulder. "You'll do all right," he said.

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><p>A few hours later Lorne stood on the fringes of the control room, watching the video feed the MALP was sending back. Sateda lay in ruins – nothing of what had obviously been an advanced civilisation remained. Even as someone with no direct knowledge of the place, Lorne felt the despair of seeing the destruction the Wraith had wrought. He looked away, his eyes instinctively going to the one person who <em>did<em> have that knowledge.

Ronon stood, somehow alone despite Doc tor Weir and Colonel Sheppard flanking him close by. He had an armed escort too, the two guards standing a discrete distance apart, doing that 'we're watching you but trying to look like we're not watching you' thing.

"That is Sateda?" Ronon asked.

"I'm sorry," Colonel Sheppard's tone made it clear he felt for the other man. "It doesn't look like anyone survived the last attack."

Evan's position allowed him to see Ronon's expression – it felt like an invasion of privacy to watch the man who could be the last living Satedan swallow hard, to see the sheen of tears in his eyes. The Wraith made Ronon Dex a runner seven years ago and now they'd made him an outcast – a man with nowhere to call home.

Ronon turned to look at the Colonel and Doctor Weir – but there was nothing he could say and so without a word he turned and walked away, his guards following a respectful distance behind.

"Well … that went well," Sheppard muttered.

"Give him time," Elizabeth said softly.

"He needs to know he has a place here," John insisted. He looked at Doctor Weir pointedly. "He _does_ have a place here, right?"

"Of course, and he can move about freely as soon as you've ruled him out as a potential security risk," Weir returned.

Colonel Sheppard looked frustrated but then nodded, resigned to following protocol. Lorne found it interesting that Doctor Weir was the one to push aside the natural emotional urge to just accommodate Ronon – because he'd lost an entire world – and remember that they had a city full of people to protect.

"Lorne," Sheppard called him forward. "Arrange for Ronon to be assessed and work out what, if any, military training he'll need. Teyla will take care of acclimating him to Atlantis."

"Yes Sir," Lorne nodded to his CO and then to Doctor Weir before making his way from the control room.

In his office he quickly scheduled Ronon for weapons and combat assessments, and then sat back, thinking over his day. He'd met his first Wraith – dead, but it still counted; had his first experience with a Wraith stunner – on a par with being zatted but the headache on waking had been a hell of a lot worse; and seen the worst of what the Wraith were capable of. And somewhere in the midst of all that he'd found another level of comfort and certainty that Atlantis was the place he needed to be. Evan felt for Ronon Dex … and could only hope that in time the Satedan would find the same comfort and certainty for himself.

It did make a man wonder – what would have happened if Colonel Sheppard hadn't been in charge on Atlantis and therefore the one to go to P3M-736 to find Ford? What if someone like Lorne's old CO, Colonel Edwards, or Colonel Caldwell had been in charge instead? Would either man have brought a man like Ronon back to Atlantis? Lorne's gut feel said no – they'd have gone down the line on protocol and correct procedure and come back to Atlantis to confer with the SGC and the IOA first. If they'd got the nod, _then_ they'd have gone back to P3M-736, but in all likelihood Ronon Dex would have been long gone. What would the Satedan's future look like now if that had been the case?

Lucky for Ronon, and Lorne suspected Atlantis too, that hadn't happened. And so they had time - for Ronon to see what they were offering him and what he could offer in return. One thing was for sure, it was going to be interesting to see how the big guy went about fitting in.

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><p><em>Author's Note:<em> The prompt from Writing Prompts on Twitter, was 'Outcast'.


	2. Dusty Jar

**Chapter 2: Dusty Jar**

_**Timeline, Season 2, 'Duet'**_

As Lorne returned to the Stargate, carrying one end of a stretcher bearing Doctor Rodney McKay, he had to wonder. Would all of his off world missions in this new galaxy go as horribly wrong as the first two had? This time a Wraith Dart had turned up unexpectedly - the last thing they could afford was for it to make it back through the gate. He'd taken the MK153 from Reed, fired a rocket at the Dart and missed, the missile intercepting a tree as the Dart ducked behind it. It was no consolation that he'd had to sight the target without any aides, including the sporting riffle cartridge and open battle sights the weapon usually had attached. He'd _missed_, that detail biting enough that he'd let his frustration and disappointment show. Only later, when he'd run to the crash site with Teyla and the rest of their team, did he understand how fortuitous that miss was. Because if he'd hit what he'd aimed at they'd have lost McKay as well as Laura Cadman, and it would have been by his hand.

"You are troubled Major?" Teyla queried as they set down the stretcher close to the DHD. Lorne ordered one of the team, left to guard the gate, to dial Atlantis before turning to the Athosian.

"Aren't you?" he countered quietly. McKay was unconscious while Cadman remained trapped inside the Wraith materialiser.

"Doctor McKay is very capable, as is Doctor Zelenka," Teyla replied, offering him a small smile. "I believe they will be able to retrieve Lieutenant Cadman."

"Let's hope so," Lorne kept his expression even, his thoughts hidden.

"Their situation is still improved on what it would have been if we had allowed the Dart passage through the Stargate," Teyla reminded him. "They owe the removal of any chance they could be fed upon to your disabling the Dart Major sufficiently for Colonel Sheppard to stop it."

"Lucky for all of us that tree got in the way," Lorne shifted as the newly formed wormhole stabilised, pressing the button on his radio. "Atlantis, this is Major Lorne," he began. "Teyla and I are returning with an unconscious Doctor McKay and request medical assistance in the Gateroom."

"Understood Major," Doctor Weir replied.

Evan could hear the questions in her voice. "We'll explain when we get there Ma'am," he promised.

Nodding to Teyla, he picked up his end of the stretcher again, only moving forward when she nodded that she was ready. An instance later they were back in Atlantis and the hastily assembled medical team was taking responsibility for McKay.

"Major?" Lorne turned from watching the team taking the still unconscious scientist away to see the city's leader looking at him expectantly.

"Ma'am," he replied.

"What happened?" Weir asked.

"There were two life signs in the Wraith materialiser but Doctor Zelenka only had power to rematerialise one of them," Evan began, aware that Teyla had moved to stand beside him. "It was a random choice Ma'am - and as soon as McKay appeared he collapsed."

"And Lieutenant Cadman?" Elizabeth asked, her expression shifting to a deeper level of concern. Evan knew the expedition had suffered losses and that Doctor Weir took each one personally.

"Still in the materialiser, as far as we know," Lorne pressed his lips together, showing some of his own concern. "Doctor Zelenka's working to bring what he needs of the Dart back here."

Elizabeth nodded thoughtfully. "Doctor McKay will want to help with that when he's able," she commented. Turning her attention to Teyla, she continued. "There were no survivors?"

"None willing to make their presence known to us," Teyla replied. It was a statement with some hope attached to it but they all knew what the destruction and lack of greeting probably meant. Many settlements had caves or other hidden locations to hide from the Wraith - with enough warning to get there. With the Wraith change in behaviour and the sharp increase in the numbers culled, it was unlikely the people of this particular planet had time to make it to their hiding place.

"There was nothing we could do," Elizabeth commented sadly.

"No," Teyla agreed simply.

Elizabeth was silent for a moment before she blinked, refocussing on her audience. "Report to the infirmary - we'll debrief this one once we know more about the situation with Doctor McKay and Lieutenant Cadman."

"Yes Ma'am," Lorne nodded, making a motion for Teyla to precede him.

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><p>Hours later, after he'd finished his shift and the city had quieted in that 'night time' way, Lorne walked towards his quarters. He usually took a roundabout route - his last check that everything was as it should be before he let it go for the day. Not that you could ever completely 'let it go' - living essentially at work meant a part of you was always on call, always ready to leap forward should something happen. He hadn't lived in the city a week before he understood that.<p>

'Something' had certainly happened that day - in fact things had taken a turn into the bizarre. If it wasn't bad enough that they had a Lieutenant trapped in a Wraith materialiser that Zelenka had hauled through the gate in pieces, they'd discovered that Rodney McKay wasn't alone inside his own head. He had company - the consciousness of Lieutenant Cadman. That just wasn't right - and Evan didn't even want to know how it was possible, although clearly it was because McKay was acting strange even for him.

Turning a corner, Lorne had just enough time to flatten himself against the wall before he could be knocked off his feet by the body jogging towards him.

"_McKay_?" he asked incredulously.

'McKay' halted abruptly, turned and with a sheepish look let out an unRodneylike "Sir," before offering him a weak smile.

"_Lieutenant Cadman_?" Evan narrowed his eyes as he assessed the figure in front of him. It was disturbing the things he noticed. Cadman wasn't the girliest of girls but she was female and females just carried themselves differently - and he could see that in McKay's posture and the way he tilted his head. His expression, that 'trying to win a superior officer over' look that Lorne had seen on his subordinates many times in the past was there too and that just wasn't McKay. Lorne was still at the getting to know Rodney McKay stage but he _knew_ - McKay just wasn't the winning anyone over type.

"Um ... yes Sir," Cadman/Rodney replied.

"Is ah ... is McKay ...," he trailed off, unsure how to ask where the hell McKay was.

"Sleeping Sir," Cadman/Rodney offered.

Lorne frowned, mulling over the inexplicable ethics of the Lieutenant's situation. Was it okay that she'd appropriated another person's body while they were sleeping? That sounded wrong but did it make it okay because Cadman didn't have a body of her own right then? Deciding it wasn't something he'd make sense of any time soon, Lorne refocussed on Cadman and her current 'mission'. "So ... you decided to go jogging?"

"Yes Sir," Cadman/Rodney returned. She hesitated for a moment and then let out a frustrated half growl that just sounded wrong coming out in McKay's vocal tones. "It's just ... permission to speak freely Sir?"

"Go ahead," Lorne nodded, waving a hand to encourage her.

"Do you have any idea what it's like in here?" she demanded, not pausing so he could say 'hell, no and I am beyond grateful for that fact'. "Rodney's mind is just going all the time - he _never_ stops thinking - equations and theories and stuff I can't put a label on. It's like being at a crowded party and the person next to you is yelling but you can't understand what they're saying. And this body - it's slow and heavy - I feel like somebody turned up the gravity and it's taking twice the effort just to walk around, and don't get me started on how unhealthy it feels," she stopped abruptly. "If they don't find a way to get me out of here soon I'm going to go crazy - and I'm taking McKay with me!"

"Did the jogging help?" Lorne asked, knowing she really didn't want him to address any of her comments specifically - she'd needed to vent and he'd let her.

"A little," Cadman/Rodney replied. A wicked, feminine smile graced McKay's face and Evan struggled not to cringe. "I can tell you one thing Sir - he's going to regret how unfit he is in the morning."

Lorne pressed his lips together to stop the grin that wanted to break out - he shouldn't approve of her actions but the thought of McKay hobbling around the next day - muscles protesting because he never exercised, was amusing. "Perhaps," he allowed blandly. "For now I think it's time you retired for the night Lieutenant."

"Yes Sir," Cadman/Rodney straightened into military 'at attention' - another look that just didn't suit McKay. She/he nodded, and then walked around Lorne. Evan started walking too, only stopping when she/he called out another 'Sir?" Turning he raised a brow.

"Thank you for listening Sir," Cadman/Rodney said gratefully.

"You're welcome Lieutenant," Lorne returned. "Get some sleep."

She/he nodded and then turned and continued around the corner. Lorne shook his head, waiting until McKay had disappeared from sight before he resumed his journey back to his quarters. He felt for Cadman and could only hope that Zelenka and his team would be able to pull out a miracle and get her back where she belonged - in her own body.

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><p>"Any progress Sir?" Lorne stopped by Colonel Sheppard's table early the next morning, his breakfast tray held casually in one hand. The Colonel sat with Teyla, McKay conspicuously absent. He'd yet to replace Lieutenant Ford and somehow that made the absence of another team mate all the more cutting.<p>

"Zelenka's still working on it," Sheppard replied, nodding to the empty chair. "Join us Major," he invited.

"Thank you Sir," Lorne offered Teyla a small smile as he sat down across from her.

"Good morning Major," Teyla responded graciously. "You are less troubled this morning?"

Lorne's glance encompassed his two companions – two where there should have been four – before he focussed on Teyla, brow raised. "Are you?"

Teyla's lips curved up – not a smile exactly, more a 'touché' without her having said the word. "I am still sure our current predicament will be rectified very soon," she returned.

"What's this?" John looked from Teyla to his 2IC curiously.

"Nothing Sir," Lorne grimaced a little, and then shrugged. "It if wasn't for the fact that missing that shot saved McKay and Cadman, I'd have already apologied for my poor aim yesterday."

"That Dart took us all by surprise Major," Sheppard dismissed casually. "Besides, Reed already tried to take the blame – said he hadn't prepped the MK sufficiently. I'm surprised you managed to hit anything with just the loading canister."

"Wasn't Reed's fault," Evan shook his head, not surprised his team mate had already spoken to the Colonel.

"And it wasn't yours either," John insisted.

"You shouldn't have had to take that shot yourself Sir," Lorne wasn't trying to be stubborn but at the same time he couldn't completely let it go. He was still finding his way with his new CO but there were some things that were universal when you were military. Because he'd missed Sheppard had been forced to take aim and fire at the ship carrying his own teammate, taking a risk that he'd do more than just disable the Dart. There'd been no guarantee stopping that Dart wouldn't kill McKay and Cadman too and yet the Colonel hadn't had a choice – that wasn't a position any team leader wanted to be in.

"Are you kidding?" John smirked, amusement evident as he shared a knowing look with Teyla. "Stick around a bit longer Lorne and you'll be celebrating _any_ chance to shoot at McKay."

Lorne laughed, his own brief experience with the scientist more than enough for him to appreciate Sheppard's point. "Then I'll be glad I could help you with that Sir, _after_ we have McKay and Cadman back to themselves, of course."

"Zelenka will work it out," Sheppard said confidently. "Stopping Rodney from interfering in the solution will be a bigger challenge than actually finding it."

Evan briefly considered relaying the strange conversation he'd had with Cadman the night before but then dismissed the need for it. If Cadman had pushed as hard as she'd suggested, McKay would be complaining about his pain vocally enough for everyone in the city to know what they'd been up to.

Across the room two marines escorted their Satedan visitor to a table, the tall man sitting and attacking his breakfast tray with singled minded purpose.

"Do we know what we're going to do with him yet Sir?" Lorne nodded towards Ronon.

"I'm still working on it," Sheppard's eyes went to the empty seats at the table before he met Evan's steady gaze.

"He's demonstrating hand-to-hand techniques with the newest batch of marines later this morning," Lorne offered. "You should stop by Sir – from what I've seen so far the guy has some serious skills."

"I'll do that Major," John paused, watching as Ronon stood abruptly, breakfast already done. The big man glanced at his guards and then across the room, directly at Sheppard – like he'd known John was there the whole time watching him – as if to ask 'is this really necessary?'

Sheppard met that look head on, giving nothing away. The moment lasted mere seconds and then John was motioning for Ronon's guards to escort their charge away.

"He doesn't seem that impressed with us," Lorne commented.

"No, he doesn't," Sheppard agreed. "Can't blame him for that – he's gone from being free to go wherever he wanted to being under constant guard."

"A runner is never free," Teyla's serious tone gave more depth to those words.

Sheppard nodded, his expression turning thoughtful. "Maybe you could talk to him," he suggested.

"Ronon needs time to adjust. When he is ready I will answer any questions he might have," Teyla countered.

Lorne held in a smile, not envying his CO's unique position with his non military team. Since it looked like John was planning to add another 'civilian' member to that team clearly he didn't have an issue with the loose way some of them interpreted orders.

"Something amusing you Major?" John asked pointedly.

"Ah … no Sir," Lorne returned, immediately making a more concerted effort to keep his expression bland. He prided himself on giving nothing away, not usually a problem with commanding officers who saw you as a role, a cog in the machine, rather than actually seeing you as a person. Colonel Sheppard was different – and a lot more observant than his casual demeanour would suggest.

"Since there's nothing your team can do to help McKay and Cadman you can take one of this morning's scheduled exploration slots," Sheppard ordered with some amusement of his own. "Who knows – you might find an alternative power source Zelenka can use."

"Maybe," Lorne agreed sceptically, both men knowing after over a year in the city there was little chance of that. "I'll send you Ronon's evaluation schedule then Sir – someone needs to observe even though it's already pretty obvious he'll pass any test we can throw at him."

"Right," Sheppard frowned, trying to work out whether Lorne had turned the tables on him or not. Evan did a much better job of keeping his smirk to himself this time. "Off you go then – don't want to keep those abandoned rooms waiting."

Lorne stood, straightening to attention until Sheppard waved away the need. "Sir, Ma'am," he nodded to Teyla and then spun on a heel, quickly striding away.

* * *

><p>"It makes you wonder," Reed commented, shining his light into the next lab they'd have to check out.<p>

"Wonder what?" Coughlin queried as the team walked inside. They'd been at it an hour and the rooms were all starting to blend in to each other.

"How many people lived in Atlantis if they needed work space all the way out here," Reed expanded.

"If you're really interested in the history you could spend some of your off time helping with Doctor Weir's project to read through the entire ancient database," Lorne suggested. "They've only covered about 4% so far – should keep you busy for years."

Reed gave a non-committal sound but Lorne could see the young airman was genuinely interested. "I'll talk to her," Evan offered, "get them to assign you to one of the teams."

"Thank you Sir," Reed ignored the look Cheung gave him as well as the muttered "girly swot".

"Perhaps Private Cheung would like to join you," Lorne suggested pointedly.

"That's okay Sir, I'm good," Jimmy said quickly, giving his CO an apologetic smile.

"There's nothing here," Nate decided, shining his light to the floor at Evan's feet. This part of the city had been submerged their first day when the shield retracted and the damage done was obvious. Getting power restored was way down on McKay's list and since they were below sea level there wasn't much ambient or natural light to help.

Lorne was set to agree with Coughlin until he noticed the faint glint of something in the corner, illuminated by the way Nate had his light directed.

Moving closer, Evan squatted, reaching out a hand to pick up what looked like a cylinder covered in sea gunk.

"Should you be touching that Sir?" Coughlin cautioned.

"Probably not," Lorne agreed, reaching into his vest and pulling out the Ancient hand held device. It sprang to life at his touch – the kind of buzz Evan was sure would take a long time to wear off – the display showing the room with four blue dots. Directing it over the object and thinking about energy scans he was relieved to find that whatever it was didn't register. "No readings," he announced, picking up the item and standing in one smooth motion.

"What is that?" Reed shifted closer, looking at what his CO held with interest.

"I have no idea," Lorne replied. He hefted the object, testing its weight and then held it up in front of him. "Give me some light," he told Coughlin.

The light hit the surface, showing that he'd been right – whatever was underneath was mostly obscured by years of marine growth, only a glint of something metallic catching the light. It might not even be Ancient – with the level of growth it seemed more likely to be something that had washed in from the sea while the section was submerged. "Something for McKay," he decided.

"Isn't he …," Coughlin trailed off.

"Indisposed?" Lorne gave that one word explanation for something far more complex. "Yeah, he is – for now." His meaning was clear – McKay would be 'cured' and then back to his cantankerous self before they could even make a dent in working out what Lorne had found by themselves. Placing the object in his pack, Evan did a quick inspection to confirm there was nothing else of interest in the room. "Let's move on to the next lab," he ordered, motioning for Reed and Cheung to take point.

They continued their exploration for another two hours with regular check-ins to the control room, until their designated section was complete. Sending his team off duty Lorne took his pack with him, deciding to get an update on McKay and Cadman before he went off duty himself.

Sheppard was actually in his office – the way he was gazing out the window made it clear he wasn't seeing the view of the ocean and the far towers to the east of the city. His thoughts were elsewhere – on the current problems they had with McKay or on the situation with Ronon? Or maybe something else that Lorne wasn't privy to yet?

"Sir," Lorne made his presence known, waiting for John to acknowledge him.

"Back already?" Sheppard quipped. "Find anything?"

"I did," Lorne took his pack off his shoulder and moved to sit in the chair across from his CO. "Has Zelenka made any progress?" he asked.

"McKay is still stuck with Cadman," Sheppard cut to the chase. "Beckett's not concerned … yet."

Lorne nodded – having another consciousness in your head wouldn't be good for anyone, even someone as 'big brained' as McKay liked to declare himself. "How did it go with Ronon?"

"He wiped the floor with our guys," Sheppard smirked, "and then he almost shot a hole through the wall at the range with that gun of his." He looked disappointed.

"I'm assuming he can't get you one Sir," Evan queried blandly.

"Early days Major," John said evasively. Sitting forward from his relaxed pose he continued. "You need to know that I've asked Ronon to be a member of my team."

"I thought you might," Lorne returned. "What did he say?"

"He'll think about it," Sheppard frowned – clearly he'd been hoping for something more decisive. "Elizabeth wasn't happy initially but she spoke to Ronon herself and agreed that it's up to him."

"That would have been interesting," Evan let a small smile play over his face. Elizabeth wasn't easily intimidated but Ronon had a way about him that Lorne suspected even the diplomat would find hard to break through.

"He's not the most approachable guy," John agreed with a grin. Nodding to the bag at Lorne's feet he continued. "So – what'd you find?"

"This," Lorne bent and took out the cylinder, offering it to his CO.

Sheppard took it, running his hands over the rough surface assessingly before handing it back to Evan. "What is it?"

"No idea," Lorne set it on John's desk, offering the Colonel a quick grin. "That's the beauty of it – right now it could be anything."

"True – until Rodney gets his hands on it and wipes out all the possibilities."

Lorne nodded, his thoughts turning inwards. "It reminds me of something," he offered quietly.

"What's that?" Sheppard asked, interested. Since Lorne had been in the city only a few short and very eventful weeks John hadn't had much opportunity to get to know his new second in command. He'd read Lorne's file before the man had arrived on the Daedalus – that told him how capable Evan was in his duties and what he could be asked to do. What John didn't have was the human element, what made Lorne tick, what would motivate him. That was the kind of information John wanted to learn – because he wasn't a leader to watch over a 2IC's shoulder, nor check every i and t to make sure they were dotted and crossed as they should be. He was trusting Lorne with a lot – to a level most 2IC's wouldn't expect, nor want. He suspected Lorne was more than up to the challenge – that he could organise even John himself in the direction they all needed to go – but he still wanted to know more. Sheppard didn't set out to 'be friends' with subordinates but in this case he had that end in mind – because it would help everyone if they could present a genuine united front. Thankfully he already liked the man – hard not to given how easy going and level headed Lorne was.

"Back home growing up," Lorne admitted with a fond smile, his eyes on his days' find. "It was just my sister, my Mom and I living in this big old house that had been in the family for generations. There was stuff up in the attic that hadn't seen the light of day in _years_ – my sister _loved_ exploring up there but my Mom only let her if I went up there too."

"Big brother protection detail?" John queried.

"Something like that," Evan agreed. "Anyway, one day we were up there and Elaine was digging around in these boxes we'd never seen before, and she pulls out this jar like it was the best treasure she'd ever found. The thing is covered in dust and grim so bad that no matter how much we rubbed at it we couldn't clean it off to see what was inside. The lid was rusted on tight too – so we took it to my Mom."

"What did she say?" John was captivated by the story and the glimpse into Lorne's family life.

"My sister was all set to break it open but my Mom wanted my opinion first – said the jar belonged to both of us because we'd found it together," Evan smiled. "Elaine about had a fit when I said we should leave it as it was but my Mom agreed with me."

"So you never saw what was in the jar?"

"Nope," Evan looked at John intently. "It took my sister a while to understand. The treasure wasn't what was in the jar but what _could_ be in the jar. If we opened it all we'd most likely have was a handful of rusted nails or something equally worthless. Instead we got a mystery she held on to for years afterwards."

"Where's the jar now?" John asked curiously.

"No idea," Evan said with a laugh. "Elaine took it with her to college so who knows."

John glanced at the treasure found that day and then back to his 2IC. "Keep it," he said quietly.

Lorne's brow rose. "What if it's something valuable, like that alternative power source, or a handbook for fixing Wraith materialisers?"

"It's not going to be either of those," John shook his head. "You keep it," he insisted. "Maybe one day when we really need an edge, it'll be the thing that makes a difference."

Lorne hesitated a moment and then nodded. "Thank you Sir," he said simply.

"You're welcome," John glanced at the clock on his computer and then straightened. "You should have been off duty an hour ago," he pointed out.

"I don't mind," Lorne shrugged. "I think I'll go check on McKay and Cadman – see how they're doing."

"Good idea," Sheppard chuckled. "I wouldn't be surprised if she's on the point of crazy by now – being stuck in McKay's head sounds like my worst nightmare."

"He's not that bad," Lorne returned. "Kind of like this," he held up his new treasure.

"You mean prickly on the outside and most likely a handful of rusty nails on the inside?" John joked.

"He's got a 'keep out' exterior, sure," Evan agreed, getting to his feet and putting the cylinder back in his pack, "but on any given day he can surprise even himself with what he's capable of."

Sheppard's eyes narrowed as he considered Lorne's words.

"I'll leave you to it then Sir," Lorne announced.

John nodded, motioning for him to take his leave. After Evan had gone and John was left to his own company he had to grin. Rodney McKay as a grime covered jar holding an unknown treasure _was_ kind of fitting. And it was even more interesting that Lorne had worked that out about the scientist so quickly. McKay was more than met the eye, and John suspected so was Evan Lorne. And he'd need to be – they _all_ would – to handle what Pegasus could throw at them.

* * *

><p><em>Authors Note:<em>

The prompt from Writing Prompts on Twitter, was 'You find a dusty jar in the basement, you can't quite make out what's inside' - this one was quite hard to incorporate into Duet so hopefully it doesn't feel 'forced'. Next up is Condemned - and a prompt that should be much easier!

I researched ground to air missiles to find the one most likely used in the episode - the attachments mentioned that Lorne didn't have are authentic (in fact I couldn't find an image that didn't have them!). See world . gun s. ru / grenade /usa / mk153-smaw-e . html - where I got most of my information.


	3. Another 'stray'

**Chapter 3: Another 'stray'.**

_**Timeline, Season 2, 'Condemned'**_

"Major, escort our visitor to quarters," Sheppard ordered at the conclusion of the debriefing.

Lorne looked at their newest arrival – a convicted criminal from Olesia named Eldon. He looked like he'd lost acquaintance with bathing sometime in the previous decade – facilities on the penal colony island had been less than ideal. He stuttered too, his eyes darting here and there with a combination of nerves and curiosity.

As the Colonel told them during the debriefing, their visitor had been instrumental in the team being able to create a scenario from which to be rescued.

More importantly, Eldon was innocent of the crime he'd been convicted for. Since that crime had been murder and the guy looked like he'd struggle to crush a fly Lorne was more than willing to believe him. That and he'd been to Olesia himself. He'd spoken to the magistrate and could only hope it'd be a long time before they had to deal with someone as self serving and immoral as that guy. Eldon was an example of what the magistrate considered good practice – convicting his own people falsely, without trial, so that he could beef up numbers on the penal colony. So the Wraith would be satisfied with the pickings and not feel the need to cult the city itself.

That scheme was done and gone now, thanks to Colonel Sheppard's involvement. Lorne dialled their second back-up alpha site himself and all the convicts had taken the opportunity to escape, leaving the island deserted. Evan wondered after whether that had been the right thing, to send the bad with the good. Since they had no way to tell which of the convicts was lying when they said they were innocent and which were telling the truth, they'd had no choice but to send them all through.

"I-I-I can stay?" Eldon queried, looking from Colonel Sheppard to McKay both hopeful and incredulous.

"We had a deal," John said simply, glancing to Doctor Weir, presumably to check that she would back his word.

"We can find a place for you here Eldon," Elizabeth said gently, "unless there's somewhere else you'd prefer to go instead?"

"No," Eldon shook his head, looking away from the city's leader abruptly. "No," he shook his head repeatedly, keeping his eyes on the table. "I was abandoned on Olesia long before they convicted me."

Nobody said anything for a moment … Lorne couldn't imagine what it would be like to feel as alone as Eldon clearly did.

"That's in the past now," Elizabeth said firmly. "You'll have to work hard – complete sufficient training so that you can make use of our systems – but as long as you do that you'll see the rewards, including being able to call this city your home."

"Th-thank you," Eldon got out, looking up and meeting Doctor Weir's eyes.

She nodded, both acknowledgement and her own promise that he'd be taken care of. "That's the long term – for now you'll follow Major Lorne who'll show you where you'll be staying. The Major will also escort you to the infirmary where you'll let Doctor Beckett give you a throughout physical. Major," Elizabeth looked at Evan, brow raised.

"Yes Ma'am," Evan stood, holding out a hand indicating that Eldon should get up too.

The younger man did, shooting that uncertain gaze around the room before landing on Rodney McKay. The scientist looked uncomfortable but he gave the man what he needed – a nod of approval and a signal that it was okay to go with Evan. Lorne held in a smile as Rodney looked at him quickly to see if he'd noticed the momentary act of kindness. Keeping his expression bland in a pretence that he hadn't, Lorne motioned for Eldon to fall into step beside him as they left the conference room.

"This is the city of the Ancients?" Eldon asked as soon as they were out of earshot of the others.

"Could it be anything else?" Lorne queried, casting his charge a curious glance.

"Maybe, no, probably not," Eldon spoke rapidly, reminding Evan of McKay in his need to get all his thoughts out into the open before they were lost. "It's just that your Colonel said you were refugees, that the city had been destroyed by the Wraith."

"It nearly was," Lorne wasn't sure whether Eldon would ever be off world team material but it wasn't like they could keep him in the city if he wanted to leave – being a native of the Pegasus galaxy. If he was going to become a member of the expedition then they had to trust him with knowledge that could bring the Wraith to their doorstep.

"And you let them think they'd succeeded," Eldon looked pleased about that, his yellowed teeth flashing as he smiled in a way that suggested he wasn't accustomed to the action.

"Something like that," Lorne agreed, taking the stairs instead of the nearest transporter. Eldon had enough new experiences to assimilate without adding to them. "This way," he said once they'd gone down the necessary floors. Eldon followed, his attention more on their surroundings than on where they were going.

Doctor Beckett must have been pre-warned they were on their way because he was waiting for Lorne when they walked into the infirmary.

"Doc," Lorne greeted him casually.

"Major," Carson returned. Turning his friendly gaze to Eldon he smiled. "And you'd be Eldon. I hear you helped Colonel Sheppard's team escape lad."

"Major Lorne and Doctor Weir rescued all of us," Eldon corrected modestly. "I h-helped buy some time is all."

"Don't sell yourself short lad," Carson put a hand to his shoulder, guiding him to the nearest examination bay. "You wouldn't be here unless the Colonel thought you deserved the opportunity."

Eldon nodded, his attention drawn away by all the equipment.

"Come on then lad," Carson said kindly. "Let's get you looked at." The doctor turned to Lorne. "You don't need to hang around Major – I'll give a shout when our young friend is ready to go to his quarters."

"Sure Doc, okay," Lorne agreed. Looking at Eldon he gave the younger man a serious look. "Stay here until I come get you – and do what the Doc tells you."

Nodding to Carson again, Evan spun on a heel and strode from the infirmary. Once outside he radioed a security team – they'd be inconspicuous, taking up positions out in the corridor. Eldon seemed harmless but there was no point in taking chances. The last thing Lorne wanted was to conduct a full scale search of the city if their newest resident decided to go exploring and got lost - he didn't strike Evan as a guy who paid attention, at least not in his current situation.

* * *

><p>An hour or so later Beckett did as promised, contacting Lorne via radio and reporting that Eldon was okay to be released.<p>

"Any problems?" Evan queried as he changed direction and headed towards the infirmary.

"Nothing a bath, a few balanced meals, and some sleep won't cure," Carson returned.

"Okay, good," Lorne took the transporter this time. "I'm on my way Doc – should be there in a couple of minutes."

True to his estimated ETA Lorne walked into the room two minutes later, dismissing the security team on his way through. "Eldon," he greeted the other man, getting a nervous smile of greeting in return. "Ready to get out of here?"

"Y-yes," Eldon looked to Carson and got a nod of encouragement.

"Off you go lad," Carson added, patting the man's shoulder. "The Major'll take care of you, won't you Major?"

"Sure, of course," Lorne agreed promptly.

"Okay," Eldon agreed. "Th-thank you Doctor Beckett."

"You're welcome lad," Carson replied kindly.

Evan waited until they'd been walking a few minutes before speaking. "We've assigned you quarters with the newest civilian arrivals," he offered, "since you'll slot into classes with most of them."

"Classes?" Eldon queried.

"Orientation, survival skills, self defence, that kind of thing," Lorne shared. "Nothing to worry about."

"And then I'll be given a real job?"

"Once you know what you're doing with the systems here, yes," Lorne agreed. "You won't need to complete the training before that happens. In fact, I know an explosives expert who I'm sure would be very interested in hearing about your explosive mix." He smiled just a little, thinking that Lieutenant Cadman would probably want to take their newest arrival to the mainland so she could see the mix in action.

"Re-really?" Eldon asked hopefully.

"Really," Lorne agreed. "Here we are," he added, stopping in front of Eldon's new quarters. "This is you."

Eldon looked at the closed door uncertainly, like he was wondering what might jump out at him from the other side.

"Swipe your hand across the sensor here," Lorne instructed, demonstrating. The door slide back smoothly, revealing standard crew quarters.

"This is … is this …," Eldon trailed off, stopping just at the point of stepping inside.

"This is your room … _just_ yours," Evan said kindly. Putting a hand on the man's shoulder, he gave the other man a light push to get his feet moving. Eldon responded in spite of himself, stopping when Evan did and just standing there, stunned. "I guess this is more space than you're used to," Evan commented, looking around with thought to how it would look to an outsider, particularly one who'd been stuck in a penal colony who knew how long.

"Yes," Eldon tried to smile as he looked at Evan but his hands were clenched tight. "I've never had a space I didn't have to share with someone."

Lorne's eyes narrowed as he considered what that might mean. Ordinarily scoring your own room would be a huge positive, but for someone who'd never been that alone, maybe it wasn't. If you weren't used to spending time by yourself, how would you learn to do that?

"You don't have to do more than sleep here," he offered that quiet reassurance. "The Mess Hall is open almost all the time. We run a night shift so there's usually someone around. Plus the control room is never unattended."

Eldon digested that, the stiff way he was holding his shoulders easing somewhat. "Mess Hall?" he queried.

"Where we eat," Evan explained. "Listen, take a shower," he walked forward, briefly showing Eldon the facilities and how to work them. "Take a shower," he reiterated once he was convinced Eldon would know how to do that, "and then use this," he handed over a spare earwig radio, "to ask for me. I'll give you the tour and introduce you to some people who'll be able to help you find your way."

"Thank you Major," Eldon still looked nervous to Evan but also determined to handle his new circumstances.

"You're welcome," Lorne walked to the door, stopped and turned back to Eldon. "Welcome to Atlantis," he said solemnly.

Eldon nodded, a genuine smile growing on his face until he was almost glowing.

Lorne smiled too, raising a hand in a casual 'taking my leave' gesture before leaving the other man to himself.

As he walked back to his office, Evan's thoughts turned to their latest mission. He'd gotten a taste of what it was like to be on a rescue mission to retrieve his CO and team – both the challenge itself as well as how others reacted, most particularly Doctor Weir. Somehow he suspected he'd have plenty more opportunities to observe the leadership dynamics on Atlantis, as well as drag his CO out of trouble. They'd been successful this time, _and_ picked up another stray, one who couldn't be more different than Ronon Dex. Lorne could already see that Ronon had found his place being on the Colonel's team. Eldon's place would be as different as the two men were, but Lorne was confident he'd be just as successful in finding somewhere to belong – somewhere he wouldn't feel alone. It'd take time but they had that, and the space as well.

* * *

><p>"Eldon settled in?" Colonel Sheppard stopped in Evan's doorway late the same day, leaning casually against one side.<p>

"As good as you could expect, Sir" Evan replied. "The guy never had a room of his own – it'll take a while for him to get used to his new status."

"He earned it," John said simply. "Compared to the conditions he was living in we could assign him a broom closet and he'd think it was a five star hotel."

"True," Lorne agreed. "So, is this going to be habit Sir?"

"Is what going to be a habit Major?"

"Taking in guys like Eldon and Ronon," Evan replied. "Not that I have a problem with it Sir – I was just thinking about logistics. We're not exactly equipped to teach people the basics."

"No, but we have enough talent here to cover it," Sheppard shrugged. "I don't think Elizabeth will ever give carte blanche on refugees, but I don't see us turning away anyone in need either. Eldon and Ronon are unique cases though."

"Because neither of them had anywhere else to go" Lorne concluded.

"Exactly," Sheppard nodded. "And they each showed they could be trusted when it counted." He chuckled suddenly. 'I don't see them becoming best buddies though."

"Ah, no Sir," Evan smiled. "I've already introduced Eldon to a few of the newest civilian recruits – they'll help him integrate to the point we'll probably forget he's even here."

"That's good," John seemed happy that his responsibility for Eldon could be relegated to the same class as that he felt for anyone in the city. "It's been a long day Major … I think I'll head down to the Mess, see what they've got for us tonight. You want to join me?"

It was a casual invitation, given with the Colonel's usual laid back style, so Evan could have thought nothing more of it. Since it was also the first overture of friendship from Sheppard, Lorne didn't take it casually. While it wasn't his usual practice to get friendly with his commanding officer Atlantis wasn't the usual military base. Friendships were important in general – Evan could already see that how well he and Colonel Sheppard got on would affect the morale of the troops under them. He wouldn't mind getting more of an insight into how the Colonel saw things either, something he could observe much easier in a casual setting.

"I'm done here Sir," he stated, equally casually, locking his laptop before closing the lid decisively. Joining his CO at the door he grinned. "My money's on 'meat' loaf, minus anything that actually resembles meat."

Sheppard laughed. "Still better than spaghetti with meat balls. This close to the Daedalus hauling in new supplies I don't even want to _think_ about what they use to make those."

"Probably best not to know," Evan agreed, amused. The Daedalus was due in the following week – with luxuries like coffee and chocolate in rare supply weeks prior, _everyone_ looked forward to its arrival.

The Colonel's team was already seated in the Mess, John and Evan grabbing food and joining them. Settling into the role of quiet observer Lorne held in his amusement as Rodney complained about how close Atlantis had come to losing his genius – _again_ – while Teyla smiled graciously, Ronon scowled, and Colonel Sheppard humoured his scientist team mate.

"_I should probably start a tally_," Lorne thought. The number of times he and team Lorne rescued Colonel Sheppard and his team. It was probably too soon to tell his CO … but being able to quote a number like that would come in handy one day, he was sure.

"_One_," Evan thought, smiling internally.

**Author's Note:**

The challenge this time was 'felt so alone'. Next up Trinity – a non Lorne episode so it should be interesting to find a spot for him – hopefully the prompt I have will help, not hinder! Apologies it's taken so long to update this story - I've had most of it done for a while but it felt incomplete and it took me a while to work out what I needed to add. Thanks for your patience ... hope you enjoy the chappter.


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